Ukraine’s orphans need you

Ukraine (MNN) — There are currently more than 100,000 orphans living in orphanages in Ukraine. Abandonment, parental rights termination, or utter poverty are the reasons many of these children are stuck in the country's foster care system. This year, Global Action is doing what they can, not only to bring a little joy into their lives, but to introduce some of them to Christ.

In part two of our series on the ministry of Global Action, Mission Network News takes a look at Global Action Touch the World summer ministry trips to Ukraine.

Global Action's Trip Director Paul Dunberg says they have three trips planned this summer. "We have trips that are going to Ukraine throughout June, July and August. They'll be going to our Ukraine Hope Center in southwestern Ukraine."

These trips are designed to get you involved, says Dunberg. "We bring in teams every summer for two weeks. We bring in about 100 orphans for every two week camp. And we spend time with the kids, we love on them, play games, do crafts, sports, and then we do Bible lessons as well."

Just giving of yourself for a two-week camp, Dunberg says, is monumental. "They haven't been able to have this kind of contact before. So for them to have it is life-changing for them. They come into these camps and do these crafts, and these kids simply enjoy putting two pieces of paper together, but they're proud of that."

There are three trips planned, and each trips need volunteers to join. "These trips are for people of any age, really: 6 years old to 81. It's for any age. As long as you have arms to hug a child, we need you on the trip."

The trips are planned June 26 – July 10, July 10 – 24, and July 24 – Aug 7.

The most gratifying part of the trip is seeing kids come to Christ. "We've had kids come to the camp and they say, 'We're here to worship Satan.' By the end of the camp, we sit and talk to them about Jesus and ask them if they want to ask Jesus into their heart. All of those kids that said that raised their hands."